The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the first and only (predominantly) African American Women’s Army Corps (WAC) unit deployed during World War II. Their mission was to clear two to three years of backlogged mail in Birmingham, England, Rouen, France, and Paris, France. In England, The unit worked three eight-hour shifts seven days a week and sorted an average of 65,000 mail parcels, 195,000 daily. This also included reading and censoring the mail, alphabetizing and dealing with the rodents that such mail attracted (cookies and food sent through the mail).
Their brave work and sacrifice has been celebrated most recently and notably in a 2024 Netflix film starring Kerry Washington, directed by Tyler Perry and featuring Oprah Winfrey as Mary McLeod Bethune.
Meet the Daughter of a Six Triple Eight on Saturday, February 22, at the Bordeaux Branch of Nashville Public Library, at a free special event from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Come out and join in to listen to a daughter, Denise McBride, talk about her mother, Phyllis Galloway Meekins, and other members of The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
Mrs. Phyllis Galloway Meekins was one of the women in this unit consisting of 855 women – 824 enlisted and 31 officers. After the war she distinguished herself in many ways, among them in the sport of golf. The Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship is granted annually through The LPGA Foundation and the Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship Fund. Established in 2006, the objective of the Phyllis G. Meekins Scholarship is to provide a need-based scholarship to a female high school senior from a recognized minority background who will be pursuing a full-time course of study and playing collegiate golf at an accredited college or university in the United States. Qualifications for all scholarships include strong academic programs, community service, and recommendations. Two $5,000 scholarships are awarded annually.
Read the new novel by Mary McCallum, “SIX TRIPLE EIGHT – A NOVEL” on Kindle or order the paperback on Amazon. This is the novel version of Mary McCallum’s award winning stage play and screenplay “Six Triple Eight.” SistaStyle Productions first produced this original script in 2014 at the Darkhorse Theater in Nashville, and in the last decade it has gone on to many cities, where it has garnered praise from audiences and critics alike. Now you can enter the world of Six Triple Eight and follow the lives of its characters in the gripping novel version, digitally available for purchase on Amazon, or free for Amazon Unlimited readers.
In the novel and play, four extraordinary Black women find their paths converging in the groundbreaking 6888th Central Postal Battalion – the first all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas. Sadie Lewis joins the WACs haunted by visions and the loss of her beloved husband Andrew, her gift of second sight both a blessing and a curse. Vibrant country girl Sammy Love Bonnet seeks adventure far from her Alabama farm, only to find unexpected love in a complicated situation. Single mother Paige Thomas enlists hoping to secure a better future for her teenage son, while former Broadway actress Cleopatra Laurier dreams of proving herself in a world that refuses to see past the color of her skin.
Under the inspiring leadership of Major Clarissa Dixon, these women unite to tackle an impossible mission: processing millions of pieces of backlogged mail in war-torn Britain. But as they confront discrimination, personal losses, and the horrors of war, they discover something more powerful than prejudice – an unshakeable bond of sisterhood that will change their lives forever.
This novel weaves together themes of love, loss, friendship, and courage, offering an intimate glimpse into one of World War II’s most overlooked yet remarkable units. Through sacrifice, determination, and unwavering faith in each other, these pioneering women prove that they are not just equal to the task – they are essential to the war effort and the future they dare to dream of building.
